During his 36-year military career in the Canadian Army, Dr. Chris Kilford served throughout Canada and in Germany, Afghanistan and Turkey in various command, instructional, staff and diplomatic roles. // Au cours de sa carrière militaire de 36 ans dans l’Armée canadienne, M. Chris Kilford a servi dans tout le Canada et en Allemagne, en Afghanistan et en Turquie, où il a occupé divers postes de commandement, d’instruction, d’état-major et de diplomatie.

His last three postings included one year spent as the Military Liaison Officer between the Department of National Defence and the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence where he worked closely with the Chair, Senator Colin Kenny. From July 2009 until July 2010, he was posted to the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan as the Canadian Deputy Military Attaché and then to the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey as the Canadian Defence Attaché from July 2011 until August 2014. Chris retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in September 2014.

Chris completed his BA at the University of Manitoba, his two MA’s at the Royal Military College and his PhD at Queen’s University (2009) where he focused on civil-military relations in the developing world in the post-colonial period. Today he is a Fellow at the Queen’s Centre for International and Defence Policy, a Research Fellow with the Conference of Defence Associations Institute and President of the Canadian International Council, Victoria Branch.

In addition to his civilian academic qualifications he is a graduate of the Army Staff College, the Joint Command and Staff Program, the Advanced Military Studies Course and holds an equivalency for the Canadian Armed Forces year-long National Security Program. His articles and book chapters focused on Canadian defence and foreign policy issues, plus Turkish and Middle Eastern security matters, have appeared in numerous Canadian and international publications and he is a frequent media commentator. In addition, Chris is a sessional professor at the Canadian Forces College.